


Wait For Me

by africanviolets



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur is Eurydice, Everyone is Dead, Hurt No Comfort, I mean it's set in the afterlife so yeah..., Inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Merlin is Orpheus, Minor Character Death, Multi, but with agency
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/africanviolets/pseuds/africanviolets
Summary: After Arthur's death Merlin ventures into the afterlife to try and bring him back. Along the way he has several conversations, and of course there's always a price.A retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice
Relationships: Freya/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Wait For Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leothelioness333](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leothelioness333/gifts).



> Thank you to leothelioness333 for giving me the idea for this, and for being the best enabler I could ask for! Happy Birthday!!  
> We were talking about Merlin and about Greek Myths, and this was the result!  
> This was pretty heavily inspired by the soundtrack to Hadestown, which if you haven't listened to I highly recommend it!

The thing about being told you’re powerful is that eventually you’ll start to believe it. Merlin is not some mere warlock. He is the child of magic itself, and what is the point of power if it can’t be used to protect those you love. He has no intention of allowing death to steal his king from him. Not after all this time. So he closes his eyes and follows the thread of his king’s soul.

When Merlin opens his eyes he is standing on a path. He cannot the details of his surroundings for the fog, but he can see the silver gleam of trees with their ruby apples hanging, magical, and empty. He take a deep breath, squares his shoulders and he begins to walk.

He is walking for moments or perhaps for hours or perhaps days, time is meaningless without Arthur, when he hears a voice. 

“Back again so soon young warlock?” the laughter in her voice is still audible

His back stiffens and he spins around “Nimueh.”  
She steps out of the tree line. The torn gown he had last need seen her in appeared whole and new. Dyed the color of fresh blood with threads of silver and gold woven through it that appear reminiscent of lighting. There is a single branch of green tucked into her hair . Merlin meets her gaze and lifts his head unflinchingly.

“Whose life do you intend to trade for his this time?” Nimueh questions, her tone dripping with bitterness and rage.

“I offered you mine. You chose to try and take another. That was not my fault!” Merlin snapped. “I don’t have time for this.” Merlin turned to continue down the path. To his surprise Nimueh fell into step beside him.

“And yet it was my life given. My life given for the son of a man who burned all who I loved. My life given a man who would have thrown me on the pyre without a second thought. That was cruel Merlin and there’s a part of you that knows that.” Nimueh’s voice seemed to soften at the end. Her righteous anger fading to something close to sadness.

“Of course I know it was cruel. I knew then. I simply didn’t care, and to be honest Nimueh, I don’t care now.” 

“But you know now. Don’t you? That we are not so different. That I only did as my king asked. That had you been in my place and Arthur in his father’s the world still would have burned. Tell me Merlin, would you have let your darling Guinevere die for Arthur’s pride?” The bitterness twists its way back into her voice, as the plea for understanding faded.

“Like you did Igraine?” Merlin’s tone is almost bored. Nimueh flinches as if struck. “I didn’t see it before but I do now. How does it feel Nimueh? To know that you killed the woman you claim you love?” They’ve stopped walking now, standing on this path that is nowhere and everywhere facing each other.

Nimueh looks away first “You didn’t answer my question.”

Merlin’s face twists into a bitter mockery of a smile “Didn’t I? You said it yourself. The world still would have burned.”

“That’s a dangerous amount of power to trust a Pendragon with.” Nimueh’s tone isn’t judgmental. Just regretful. 

Merlin shrugs “It would never come to that. Arthur is a better man than his father.”

Nimueh regards him carefully before she sighs. “I hope you’re right Merlin. I truly do.” She smiles at him once more. A more genuine smile than he ever received from her in life, a smile that made her appear far younger. Then she turned and vanished into the trees.  
Merlin keeps walking. He is walking for moments or perhaps for hours or perhaps days, time is meaningless without Arthur, when he hears a voice.

“Is there anything you would not do for my son?” Merlin turns standing among the trees is the Queen Igraine. She looks the same as she did the only other time he had seen her. He meets her eyes and gives her a mocking bow. Her lips quirk as she steps towards him. “You’ve killed for him, you’ve died for him, you tried to save the man who would have murdered you without a second thought because he asked it of you, he murdered a woman you loved and yet there you were the next day. Answer the question. Is there anything you would not do for my son? Are there limits to your loyalty?”

Merlin meets her eyes squarely, and for the first time in a very long time tells the full truth. “No. Whatever Arthur asked of me I would do.”

Igraine’s eyes seem to gleam, “Except tell the truth it would seem. You told him I was an illusion.”

Merlin shrugs “He would have regretted it forever if I had let him kill his father.”

“And who says that was your choice to make?” He can’t quite read Igraine’s tone.

“I do.” Merlin responds simply. Because it is as simple as that. His job is to protect Arthur. From sorcerers, from bandits, from assassins, from Uther, from Igraine, and from Arthur himself if that’s what it takes.

“You love him.” Igraine’s tone is wondering but not questioning. She states it as the fact that it is. “You love my son but you don’t trust him. Not truly, not fully.”  
Merlin keeps walking but says nothing. 

“Can you protect him from you? From what you’re becoming?” Igraine’s questions freeze him mid stride. 

Merlin shakes his head confused “From me? Arthur doesn’t need protection from me, I would never harm him.”

“Doesn’t he? You took his will when my brother betrayed him. You lied to him about me. What happens when you decide that you don’t like how he’s ruling?”  
Merlin has no answer he simply grits his teeth and keeps walking. Igraine walks beside him for a while before she sighs and looks at him again. 

“Keep him safe” she orders and there’s a triumphant gleam in her eyes as she turns and walks back into the forest.  
Merlin keeps walking. He is walking for moments or perhaps for hours or perhaps days, time is meaningless without Arthur, when he hears a voice.

“You say you blame yourself for what I became, but I could say the same to you.”

Merlin is hardly surprised by her voice. He simply keeps walking trusting that she’ll keep up. “Hello Morgana.”

“Hello Emrys” Morgana falls into step beside him. He glances at her, she’s wearing the green dress she wore the day he poisoned her.

“Do we still have more to say to each other?” he asks “I rather thought we had said everything that needed to be said.”

She smirks at him “You said your piece but I have more to say.”  
He simply raises an eyebrow at her. 

“I never blamed you. Hated you, yes, but I never blamed you. I made my own choices in the end and you don’t get to take credit for them.”

Merlin snorts at that. Morgana shoots him a grin. For a moment it feels like before again but then her smile falls.

“Maybe it would have made a difference if you had told me, maybe it wouldn’t have. I don’t know and you don’t care.” She stands in front of him turning so that they’re face to face “Merlin be careful. All that rage and fear you have pent up inside you, it can twist you into something unrecognizable. You know that.” She pauses and glances away before meeting his eyes again “For what it’s worth I truly am sorry for what I did to you.”

Merlin nods “And I’m sorry for what I did to you Morgana. I truly am. You were my friend and I didn’t want to.”

Morgana arches her eyebrow “But you’d do it again. The only thing you would change in that throne room is that you might let me die.”

Merlin just tilts his head. They’ve always understood each other. Morgana nods and walks besides him silently until they reach a river. 

“I hope you find peace Merlin. I really do.” By the time Merlin looks back she’s gone.  
He walks to the edge of the river. It’s far too turbulent and wide for him to feel comfortable attempting to swim it. He’s not sure what happens if he dies here, but he rather doubts it’s good. The moment his feet touch the river he can feel the magic running through it. When he looks up he can see a form taking shape over the waves. He can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. Standing before him looking as lovely as she had the first time they met was Freya. He holds his hand out to her and she takes it pulling him to where she stands on the water. 

“Hello my love” she grins at him before she brings their lips together. When they part she smiles again, before linking their arms and pulling him forward. “You know there will be a price for him, yes?”

“Whatever it is I will pay it.”

“I know” Freya looks at him sadly as they reach the rivers edge “make sure you take care of yourself as well.” When she lets his arm go there’s a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “There’s a price for safe passage across my river as well.”

“Is there?” Merlin steps closer “I’ll happily pay that too, name your price.”

Freya giggles “a kiss, my love and we’ll call it even.”  
Merlin cradles her face as he kisses her. Pouring all his words and apologies into that one kiss. When they part she stares up at him before smiling sadly.  
She lifts herself onto her tiptoes one more time. “Goodbye my love” she whispers against his lips. When his eyes open she’s gone.

Merlin keeps walking. He is walking for moments or perhaps for hours or perhaps days, time is meaningless without Arthur, when he arrives at a citadel. It looks like Camelot, but it appears to be woven from vines. Merlin enters. Eventually he finds the throne room  
At the end of the hallway sit two beings. As he approaches them they begin to take shape. The man has skin as dark as night which only serve to accentuate his pure gold eyes. He is dressed in a suit of leather armor that appears to be dyed a deep purple. By his side is a woman as dark as he is in an elaborate beaded gown of deep scarlet, her eyes are a gleaming sliver. 

He approaches them carefully. Merlin can tell when he is outmatched but he raises his voice and calls to them “I have come for my king”.

The woman laughs and Merlin feels as if the earth itself is shaking “And why should I return him to you now? It is not yet his time.”

“Because I say it is. It was not his time yet. He has more left to accomplish. And because I won’t leave without him.”

“Why should I care?” The woman’s tone is lazy “Do you truly think you can defeat us in battle?”

Merlin snorts “No. Of course not, but I bet I can cause problems for the two of you. Things seem organized down here, and just ask my king. I’m very good at making a mess.” His tone grows more threatening as he continues.

The man laughs and Merlin grits his teeth against the sound of glass shattering. “Come my lady, surely we can make him an offer. I hardly wish to spend the next few centuries attempting to contain the force of chaos my embodiment can become when unhappy.” 

The woman glances at him and appears to soften “Only for you, my lord.” She stands and strides towards Merlin. She reminds Merlin of a predator stalking her prey. She stops in front of him and the sheer power radiating off of her is nearly enough to bring Merlin to his knees. “This is my only offer. A cost and price. The same as when he was born.” She waves her hand and suddenly she and Merlin are standing in a forest.  
Merlin glances around before he recognizes the two men in front of him.

“No! Gwaine!” he shouts, lunging forward only to have his arm gripped by Lady Destiny. 

“His heart still beats at this moment. I’ll allow it to continue, if you agree to walk from my realm without your king.”

Merlin feels his heart stop. “No- no you can’t do this.”

“I think you’ll find I can. Decide now. Which do you save? If it makes you feel any better he’s dying anyway. This way you can make his death mean something. Decide little godling who do you save? And remember there is still the question of my price.”

Merlin feels as if he’s choking, but his choice was made long ago. “I choose Arthur.”

Gwaine’s eyes slip closed for the last time.

Arthur opens his eyes to see a man with golden eyes regarding him calmly. The man shakes his head. “As if there was ever any doubt” he murmurs.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't posted any of my writing online in years so comments would be lovely! I do have the rest of this written so it should be posted pretty quickly. English is not my first language when it comes to writing so I apologize for any errors in spelling or grammar.  
> For the record posting on this site is nerve wracking. I am not a fan of the text box.


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